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Brazil Scandal Plays
Like Soap: The Bald
And the Beautiful

Nation Is Transfixed by Cast
Caught Up in Vote Buying;
A Bid to Pose in Playboy

By

Matt Moffett and

Geraldo Samor Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Updated Aug. 16, 2005 12:01 a.m. ET

BRAS&Iacute;LIA, Brazil -- When Congressman Roberto Jefferson recently found himself enmeshed in a massive political corruption scandal, he vowed that his voice would not be silenced.

No one knew how literally Mr. Jefferson meant it until he appeared last month on the Programa do J&ocirc;, Brazil's most popular late-night talk show. Mr. Jefferson warbled an old samba song called "Nerves of Steel," about a heartbroken...